Happy Australia Day

Our flag bears the stars that blaze at night
In our southern sky of blue
And that little old flag in the corner
That’s part of our heritage too,
It’s for the English, the Scots and the Irish
Who were sent to the end of the earth
The rogues and the schemers and dreamers
Who gave our Australia its birth.

And you who are shouting to change it
You don’t seem to understand
It’s the flag of our laws and language
Not the flag of a far away land
There are plenty of people who’ll tell you
How when Europe was plunged into night
The little old flag in the corner
Was their symbol of freedom and light.

It don’t mean we owe our allegiance
To a forgotten imperial dream
We’ve the stars to show where we’re going
And the old flag to show where we’ve been
It’s only an old piece of bunting
It’s only an old coloured rag
But there are thousands who died for its honour
And fell in defence of our flag.

This poem was written by an anonymous Australian about the Australian flag debate, where Advocates of change in Australia, believe that another design would be more effective in representing Australia.